Karl Marx 
The Labour Parliament 

New-York Daily Tribune. 
Nr.4039, 29. März 1854 

The Labor Parliament. 

From Our Own Correspondent. 

London, Friday, March 10, 1854. 

Of all countries Great Britain has seen developed on the grandest scale the 
despotism of capital and the slavery of labor. In no other country have the 
intermediate degrees between the millionaire, commanding whole industrial 
armies, and the wages-slave living only from hand to mouth, so radically been 
swept away from the soil. There exist no longer, as in continental countries, 
large classes of peasants and artizans almost equally dependent ontheir own 
property and their own labor. A complete divorce of property from labor 
has been effected in Great Britain. In no other country, therefore, has the 
war between the two classes that constitute modern society, assumed so 
colossal dimensions and features so distinct and palpable. 

But it is precisely from these facts that the working classes of Britain, 
before all others, are competent and called upon to act as leaders inthe great 
movement that must finally result in the absolute emancipation of labor. 
Such they are from the conscious clearness of their position, the vast superi- 
ority of their numbers, the disastrous struggles of their past and the moral 
strength of their present. 

The London daily papers observe the "policy of abstention" with respect 
to the proceedings of the Labor Parliament. They hope to kill it by a vast 
"conspiration de silence. " Having for whole months fatigued the public with 
interminable articles on the probable chances of realization for the scheme 
of such a Parliament, now they purposely avoid ever mentioning that it has 
actually sprung into life and already begun to work. This wisdom of the 
ostrich, that imagines it avoids dangers by feigning not to see them, will not 
do now-a-days. They will be forced to notice the Labor Parliament, and, 
notwithstanding their simulated indifference, some future historian will 

Karl Marx 

record that there existed in the year 1854 two Parliaments in England, a 
Parliament in London and a Parliament in Manchester, a Parliament of the 
rich and a Parliament of the poor, but that men sat only in the Parliament 
of the men, and not in the Parliament of the masters. The following is the 
report of the Committee appointed to draw up a plan of action for the Labor 
Parliament: 

"Your Committee believe the duty of this Parliament to be the render- 
ing of the existing turn-outs and lockouts victorious for the operatives, and 
the adoption of means whereby both should be prevented for the future; the 
securing for the working classes fair treatment during work; the rescuing of 
women and children from the factory; the means of education, and the 
abolition of stoppages and underhand abatements of wages. Believing further 
that it is their duty to endeavor to secure to those who labor a fair participa- 
tion in the profits of their work; and above all this, to obtain for them the 
means of independent self-employment, with a view to their, emancipation 
from wages slavery altogether; and, being convinced that the final step 
thereto is the obtaining the pecuniary leverage for action, recommend for 
your consideration: 

1. The organization of a system for the collection of a national revenue 

for labor. 

2. A plan for the security of the funds thus raised. 

3. The application of the same and the securing of the rights of the working 

classes. 

4. The constitution of the Mass Movement. 

I. The Raising of a National Labor Revenue. 
a. A weekly levy on the wages, graduated according to the price of labor, 

as follows: 

Upto 4s. per week 1d. 
Up to 8s. per week "Ua. 
Up to 12s. per week Id. 

Up to 15s. per week [hsi. 
Up to 20s. per week 
Up to 30s. per week 

AUN 
zen 

Up to 40s. per week 

b. That the officers of the several bodies of working men, who actin con- 
junction with the Mass Movement, forward the moneys thus raised to its 
directing head. 

II. Security of the Funds, 

a. That the local officers forward weekly all moneys they receive on behalf 

of the Mass Movement to the directing head of the same as shall be further 

The Labour Parliament 

specified below. The duly appointed officers for the reception thereof to 
return receipts immediately for the moneys thus received. 

b. That the directing heads shall invest all moneys they receive on behalf 
of the Mass Movement (having powers to retain in hand a sum notexceeding 
£50) in a bank, in their collective names; no such sum or sums, nor any part 
of the same, to be drawn out of the bank except on presentation of the 
minute-books of the said directing body, containing an order for the same 
to be drawn, signed by such a majority of the members of that body as shall 
hereafter be determined. 

c. That the money thus drawn shall be paper money, (unless under £5;) 
that the numbers of such notes shall be entered in a book, open to inspection 
and published in the papers; that the notes thus received shall be cut into 
parts, and each part intrusted to a separate member of the directing body; 
and where large sums are drawn, that they be held in equal portions by each 
member. 

d. That each member, thus intrusted with aportionof the said money, shall 
give a promissory note amounting to his proportionate share of the money 
drawn, supposing the same divided into equal parts, according to the number 
of the directing body; and that, should he refuse to apply for the purposes 

for which the money was drawn, such partof note held by him, the document 
thus held against him shall at once be put in force, but be cancelled on his 
paying over said part of note; that the promissory notes thus given shall be 
deposited in a chest or safe, which shall be placed in the custody of an 
independent and responsible party (not amember of the directing body), who 
shall not allow any document to be taken therefrom except in presence of 
all the directing body. 

e. That the money thus drawn for any payment or purchase be paid by 
the directors only in the mutual presence of each member of their body. 

II. Application of the Funds. 

a. The funds collected shall be applied as follows: To support all towns 
and places now on strike, and for liquidating all debts contracted during the 
late and present strikes and lockouts. That equal support shall be afforded 
to towns in proportion to the number out of employ. That on the same 
principle as when provisions run short on board of ship, each receives alike; 
thus the same relief shall be given without distinction of high or low paid 
trader. That, although all existing strikes and lockouts shall be supported, 
no future assistance will be given to any body of men who do not recognize 
and support the Mass Movement. 

b. That the department be opened to regulate the price of labor. That for 
this purpose a monthly statement be issued for the price ofthe raw material 
employed in all the trades in connection with the Mass Movement; the price 

Karl Marx 

of labor in the same, and the selling price of the articles produced, and the 
other working charges. That on the evidence thus furnished, the directing 
body shall issue a statement of the profits of the employer; being open to 
receive from the latter a statement of any peculiar and additional charges 
which the employers may have to meet. That on the basis thus laid the price 
of labor shall be regulated, and the tariff of wages be fixed in accordance 
with the same. That a similar plan be applied to the agricultural interests of 
the country. 

c. That, while workingmen have an undoubted right to participate in the 
profits of the employer, he has aright higher still—that of employing himself; 
and that, for the purpose of the self-employment, as also for the purpose of 
more effectually regulating wages, by removing the power of surplus labor 
from the employer's hands, the funds of the Mass Movement be further 
employed in the purchase of land. Thatthe estates be purchased inthe names 
of individuals not being members of the directing body. That the estates be 
divided into farms, varying in size according to the nature of the soil and 
the purposes to which they are to be applied, viz: whether as individual 
tenancies or large cooperative undertakings. That the said lands be retained 
by and never alienated from the Mass Movement. That the land be let to 
tenants on short leases and at a fair and moderate rental. That the clause be 
inserted in the lease whereby any tenant making the fault in payment of rent 
shall immediately lose his right of tenancy. That a fourth clause be inserted 
whereby the tenant binds himself to pay the rental to the parties appointed 
by the deed of assignment hereafter named. That the parties in whose names 
the estates are bought execute adeed of assignment, whereby the tenant shall 
pay the rent, not to them, but to the individuals then being directors of the 
Mass Movement. That the directors of the time being shall execute a deed, 
binding themselves in a penalty of £5,000 each, to two individuals, not being 
purchasers of any estate; such penalty to be enforced should they, on leaving 
office, not execute a deed of assignment of the said rental to their successors 
in office; those successors to be bound in the same way. 

d. That independence of self-employment and relief of the labor market 
from its surplus be still more secure, your Committee recommend a further 
application of the available funds for the establishment of cooperative facto- 
ries, workshops and stores, such to be the property of the Mass Movement. 
Those employed therein to receive that amount of wages regulated by the 
tariff for the price of labor previously named, and one-half of the net profits 
realized on the articles produced and sold, the other half of the profits to 
go to the revenue of the Mass Movement. That the chief manager of each 
cooperative undertaking be elected by the operatives engaged therein, sub- 
ject to the approbation of the directing body. That the said manager of each 

The Labour Parliament 

respective undertaking regulate the purchases and sales connected there- 
with, and return monthly to the directing body a statement of the purchases, 
sales, payments, and loss or profit connected with the same. That, in case 
grounds of complaint at difference arise between the operatives and man- 
ager, the operatives shall have the power of dismissing the manager and 
electing another by the majority of not less than three-fourths of their 
number. That one half of the net profits of each cooperative undertaking be 
sent by each respective manager to the directing body. That the property for 
cooperation purposes purchased by the Mass Movement be placed under a 
system of security similar to that applied to the landed estates." 

After a long discussion, the report of the Committee up to end of the 
portion marked "II" was adopted on Wednesday's sitting of the Labor 
Parliament. The Committee appointed for drawing up this programme of 
action for the Mass Movement consisted of Messrs. Ernest Jones, James 
Finlen, James Williams, Abraham Robinson and James Bligh. 

Karl Marx.